Stereo signals may be decoded into multi-channel audio to provide a user with a sense of immersion and realism when experiencing the multi-channel audio through a plurality of speakers. The decoding of signals into multi-channel audio may be carried out using techniques disclosed in U.S. Ser. No. 12/246,491, which is another patent application filed by Creative Technology Ltd.
It should be noted that a cinema hall typically includes a plurality of speakers distributed in a wide spread loudspeaker layout throughout the cinema hall with the plurality of speakers being directed at cinema goers seated in the cinema hall such that a spatial sound effect is experienced by the cinema goers.
Unfortunately, arranging a plurality of speakers in a wide spread loudspeaker layout in a relatively smaller enclosed area compared to the cinema hall, such as, for example, a room in a home is not convenient due to constraints in the size of the enclosed area and the fact that the presence of the plurality of speakers would appear odd. However, it would be highly desirable if spatial sound effects could be reproduced in the home. Furthermore, given the prevalence of compact speaker-array units being found in homes, it would be desirable if spatial sound effects may be reproduced in homes using compact speaker-array units.
In addition, it would also be desirable if the compact speaker-array units could reproduce spatial sound effects over an enlarged location as it is unlikely that persons in a home remain seated at a single location unlike movie-goers in a cinema hall.
The present invention aims to address the aforementioned situations.